Gadadhar Mohapatra from Odisha’s Koraput dist finds place in ‘Unsung Heroes of India’s Freedom Struggle’ list
In 1940 he joined the Indian army in Jeypore and was posted in Kolkata. Thereafter he was sent to Malay by his Department where he fought war against Japan and was imprisoned by the Japanese army on 15 February 1942.
Koraput: Freedom fighter Gadadhar Mohapatra from Koraput district of Odisha is now in the list of the ‘Unsung Heroes of India’s Freedom Struggle’.
Paying tribute to India’s freedom fighters the Ministry of Culture, Government of India has added name of Gadadhar Mohapatra to the ‘Unsung Heroes of India’s Freedom Struggle’ list and presented details of the unsung hero on the Central Govt’s website as follows:
“Gadadhar Mohapatra was born on 5 July 1922 in Dasasahi village near Jeypore of Koraput district. His father’s name was Damodar Mohapatra.
In 1940 he joined the Indian army in Jeypore and was posted in Kolkata. Thereafter he was sent to Malay by his Department where he fought war against Japan and was imprisoned by the Japanese army on 15 February 1942.
In 1942, he joined the Indian National Army and with them he marched to Burma and fought against the British army. Then he entered Rangoon with INA. But after the defeat of Japan and the Indian National Army he was imprisoned by the British army in 1945 and was lodged in Rangoon Central jail as a prisoner of war. From there he was brought to Jigergaja jail where his statement was recorded. Thereafter he was taken to Sultan jail where he was lodged for eight months. Then he was released on 23 February 1946.”
Unsung hero Gadadhar Mohapatra from Koraput district of Odisha was a soldier who had fought on behalf of the erstwhile India about eight decades ago from today in the forties. Even he was jailed as prisoner of war but reportedly was released later with the intervention of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Gadadhar Mohapatra died in 2001. His heroic and glorious deeds have found place in the website of the Central Govt now.
At the age of 18, his father went out of the state to serve the country and joined the Army and fought for the country. He was also jailed, said son of the unsung hero adding that he had heard this from his father. However, he did not pay so much attention at that time. Today, when the whole country is knowing about the unsung hero after his name has been added to the Unsung Heroes’ list, his son and daughter-in-law are proud of Mohapatra.
His son also said that his father had killed 28 tigers and his body had tiger paw marks. Besides, his father had told that the King of Jaipur also told him to hunt tigers, the unsung hero’s son said.
The unsung hero Gadadhar Mohapatra died in 2001.
Ms Kalinga